


Part of the Pack

by MerlinSpecter



Series: Part of the Pack [1]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Other, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Protectiveness, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-07 19:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13441797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinSpecter/pseuds/MerlinSpecter
Summary: Kimi returns to his mate after a long time. Sebastian forgives him, but can Kimi really fit in with the new pack?And what about Max, who, traumatised by his past, finds it difficult to trust anyone, especially Alphas. But when he becomes closer to an Alpha, will he be able to put his past aside?Will they be part of the pack?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been going around with this idea for a long time, and actually started writing about two months ago, but it only seemed to be ready now to be published :D
> 
> Also, I hope to edit the summary soon cuz it sucks, whoops XD
> 
> Please leave kuddos and comments if you enjoyed reading this :D
> 
> Should be updated soon since I've got chapter 2 practically ready on my laptop  
> Cheers!

Kimi felt his stomach tighten in nerves as they made their way to the border of the Webber territory. Max whimpered at his side, the smaller wolf pressing a little closer to Kimi as they walked. Kimi knew Max had never had to enter a different packs territory before, so it was understandable the pup was nervous. Kimi growled encouragingly at Max, who whined in return and pushed his snout against Kimi’s shoulder, wanting to go somewhere else.

Max wasn’t really a pup anymore, and not Kimi’s actual pup in any way, but somehow Kimi had started seeing him as such, becoming fiercely protective of his not so little pup. Max didn’t seem to mind and stayed close to Kimi, never leaving his side, not even now.

They finally came at the border, but Kimi hesitated for a moment, not really sure if this was their best option. He sighed and glanced at Max, who stayed low to the ground, ears almost flat against his head. Kimi gently nudged him with his snout, grumbling a soft comforting noise. Max whined back, relaxing a little more, although Kimi could see he was still trembling ever so slightly.

The Webber territory was really their last resort, or they’d be forced to live solitary for the rest of their loves, something no wolf ever wanted, their desire to stay in packs too strong to allow that.

His pack.

He remembered his pack almost too well still, making it even harder to believe they were all gone now, murdered before Kimi’s eyes. Somehow, he had survived, and luckily for him, so had his mate, Sebastian. He missed Sebastian more than he would like to admit, wishing his mate was still at his side.

They had had a falling out, it had been entirely his fault. Sebastian had wanted to back to the Webber pack, the pack he had once belonged to, but Kimi had been hesitant to trust anyone, not willing to put himself or Seb in danger again. He wasn’t at his right mind, not seeing the dangers that lay before them if they stayed away from packs. Sebastian did. Eventually, it had gotten too much for his mate, and Seb had decided he couldn’t be on the run anymore. Sebastian had tried desperately to take Kimi with him, but the Alpha couldn’t be reasoned with in this state. 

So Sebastian had left. 

Kimi didn’t blame him for it, not really. He knew he must have been impossible to be with around that time, too deep in his grief to notice anything else, not noticing how unhappy Sebastian was. He accepted Sebastian departure with pain in his heart, but still he didn’t follow.

It was weeks later when Kimi found Max, the younger wolf looking starved and afraid, especially after he had smelt out Kimi was an Alpha. Kimi hadn’t been sure what to do, the young wolf was obviously afraid of him, but without Kimi, it was very unlikely he stood any chance of surviving out here. So he decided to at least try and win the pup’s trust.

When Kimi had initially approached Max, the pup had growled and snapped at him, but Kimi had smelled out it had been in fear rather than aggression. He had kept his distance, but also kept an eye on him, bringing him food whenever he found something to hunt. At the start, Max had seemed hesitant to eat the food, but eventually his hunger had won from him fear. 

Max had relaxed even more after he had seen Kimi in his human form for the first time. Kimi’s shirt was torn and showed a large part of his neck and shoulder, also baring the mating bite. It was well known that mated Alphas were less aggressive, especially towards Betas, than unmated Alphas, who sometimes acted rash when they were in the company of an unmated Betas, no matter if it was truly their mate or not. Max had dared to stay a little closer to Kimi after that, although he would still keep his distance during the nights.

Then, one night, a lone wolf had tried to attack them, having smelt out Max. Kimi had been awoken by scared yelps and growls and had immediately been on his feet. Max had been cornered by the wolf, who kept trying to bite him. 

Kimi had attacked the wolf without hesitation, fiercely protecting his pup. When the wolf realised he wouldn’t win from the much larger Alpha that was Kimi, he had ran off. 

Kimi was exhausted after the fight. He wasn’t hurt, but the fight had taken a lot of his energy, which was already sparse. He had curled up on the ground closer to Max than usually, wanting to keep the pup close this time.  
Max had surprised him by laying down next to him, pressing against Kimi as he still shuddered in fear. Kimi had gently comforted the pup, watching over him for the rest of the night. 

Somehow, Max had gotten Kimi to talk about Sebastian, Kimi telling Max about why his mate had left. Throughout his stories, he came to realise how foolish he had been to make his mate unhappy enough to leave, and how foolish it was for him to try and live in solitary. And so Kimi had decided to go to the Webber territory, to see if the pack could accept them and if Sebastian would still have him ass his mate.

Max had been scared, which wasn’t strange after the short, undetailed stories Max had told about his life. Apparently he had come from a pack with too many Alphas, and too little Betas. With Max being a Beta, it meant he had had to live on edge constantly, in fear of the Alphas hurting him, or even forcefully claiming him as theirs. 

It had also explained why Max had been so afraid of him in the beginning. Kimi had never really experienced a Beta fearing him before. He might not be the friendliest, but he made sure to never scare a Beta, it just wasn’t in his nature. 

Eventually Max had fled when it had become too dangerous for him to stay with his pack. He had been roaming around for weeks when Kimi had found him, never any contact with another wolf during that time. 

It took some time, but eventually Max decided to go with Kimi, not wanting to be on his own again, not wanting to leave his protector. 

Kimi had been relieved, he would have never forgiven himself if he would have had to leave his pup behind, out in the wild, fending for his own.

Max would not have survived


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comments & Kuddos highly appreciated :D  
> Cheers!

It had taken them a couple of days for them to arrive at the territory, even in their wolf forms, but now there were finally here. Slowly, the two of them crossed the border and waited. 

It didn’t take long for them to hear howling in the distance, coming closer and closer. Max was whimpering and shaking, pressed tightly against Kimi’s flank. Kimi gently growled at him, allowing him to stay close.

Three wolves dove into the clearing, all yipping and growling in distrust. Kimi lowered his head, showing them he meant no harm, nudging Max to do the same. 

One by one the other wolves changed back to their human forms. Their leader came forward, a tall Alpha man with dark hair and kind blue eyes. Kimi bared his throat momentarily, making sure the other Alpha knew he wasn’t looking to challenge him for the land. The leader gave him a curt nod, and Kimi turned back to his human form. He was aware of how he looked, his clothes torn and discoloured, even though he had tried to wash them in the river as often as he could. 

The leader smiled at him then looked at Max, who was whimpering beside him, still in his wolf form

“My name is Mark, you have just crossed the border of my territory, but I think you know that.” Mark stated simply, his tone friendlier than Kimi had expected. Kimi took a deep breath.

“My name is Kimi. I came here to look for my mate, who became part of this pack some time ago.” Kimi explained, his voice a little rough after not really using it very often. Mark’s expression turned surprised and then understanding. A second wolf, a Beta, came up to them, leaning into Mark’s side.

‘His mate, then.’ Kimi thought. The mate tilted his head and regarded him for a moment, then turned to Mark.

“His name is Kimi, it must be Sebastian’s mate then.” He spoke softly, and Mark nodded. Kimi felt hopeful, they knew his mate, his mate might be here.

“Call for him.” Mark told the Beta, who nodded. The third wolf had turned into his human form as well. He was another Alpha, with dark curls and a friendly grin. The Alpha sniffed the air for a moment.

“He’s already on his way.” He said, glancing at both Kimi and Max, who was still trying to hide behind his protector. He looked at Kimi with a concerned expression.

“Is he alright? We didn’t mean to scare him.” He said, looking back to Max, who growled fearfully.

Before Kimi could answer, another wolf ran into the clearing. Kimi felt his heart skip a beat, this was unmistakeably Seb. 

Sebastian turned into his human form and stared at Kimi with an awed expression. Kimi hesitantly stepped closer, not sure if his mate would even want to be close to him anymore, but Sebastian threw himself against Kimi with a sob, clutching on tightly to him. Kimi could feel Sebastian sob against his chest and could only hold him tightly. 

He had hurt his mate, the last thing he had wanted to do. 

After a moment, Sebastian pulled back just enough to press their lips together, his lips tasting salty like his tears. It was enough to make Kimi cry silently as well. He hadn’t realised just how much he had missed his mate until Sebastian had been in his arms again.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered over and over again against Sebastian’s lips, who whimpered and pressed as close as he could.

The moment was broken by harsh, fearful growling just behind them. 

Kimi sharply turned back to his pup, almost lashing out when he saw the concerned Alpha from before, now in his wolf form again, standing not too far away from his pup. 

Sebastian curled closer to Kimi and made soft, soothing noises. Kimi was torn, his pup might be in danger, but his mate told him to trust the stranger.

The strange wolf slowly laid down in front of Max, their front paws almost touching. The Alpha was gently growling at him, trying to sooth the other frightened wolf, who had his stomach pressed flat to the ground, growling back at him. 

The other Alpha surprised Kimi by rolling onto his side in front of Max, presenting the young wolf with the side of his stomach, a very clear sign that showed he meant no harm. Max looked confused, but also a lot less scared, his growling ceasing. 

The Alpha rolled back on his stomach and rested his head on his front paws, his head cocked playfully.

Max was hesitant but leaned a little forward, sniffing the stranger, who growled encouragements. He whimpered, his ears flattening again, obviously now smelling the stranger was an Alpha.

Kimi tensed as he looked on, knowing how much Max could fear Alphas. Sebastian shushed him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, encouraging him to stay put.

The wolf growled gently again and reached forward to ever so carefully nudge one of Max’s paws with his nose. Max tensed but didn’t move.

He sat up again and turned back to his human form, staying knelt in front of Max. Max sat up as well, glancing around the group that had formed around them, and whimpered at Kimi, who gave him an encouraging nod.

Max turned back to his human form as well, making the stranger grin.

“Hiya.” The Alpha said gently. Max shallowed thickly, his eyes still wide. The other wolf smile softened.

“I’m Daniel, what’s your name?” he asked.

“M-Max.” Max managed, the sound only very soft. 

Daniel held out his hand to Max, expecting him to shake it. Instead Max flinched violently the moment he reached out and scrambled backwards. Daniel seemed stunned and concerned, looking back at his pack leader for advice.

Meanwhile Kimi rushed over to his pup, Sebastian not for behind, 

“It’s okay, none of them will hurt you, I promise.” He spoke softly. Max let out a sob as Kimi carefully pulled him into his arms, the young wolf clinging on tightly. Kimi looked up at Sebastian, who had knelt down next to them, and then towards the other wolf, Daniel, who looked sorrowful at having upset the Beta. Kimi gave him a curt nod, knowing the Alpha had meant well.

Mark took the moment to speak up.

“We’ll go back to the house, Sebastian will lead you there when Max is ready. When you get there, we’ll talk. Take your time.” He smiled kindly at Kimi, who gave an appreciative smile. 

Mark walked off, an arm wrapped around his mate. Daniel left with them as well, another sorrowful look on his face.

After they’d left, Kimi pulled back a little so he could look at Max.

“It’s okay, you’ll be safe here, we won’t let anything happen to you.” He said. On cue, Sebastian growled in comfort as well, making Max glance at him. Sebastian smiled kindly at him.

“Hello, I’m Sebastian, Kimi’s mate.” Kimi felt his heart swell at those words, smiling at him. Max nodded shyly.

“I know, he told me enough to recognize you.” A hesitant smile on his face. Kimi was glad he seemed to trust Sebastian, knowing it was Kimi’s mate and a fellow Beta must have helped. Sebastian slowly reached out and smoothed some hair out of Max’s face. Max flinched again but let him, making Sebastian smile. 

“It’s all gonna be okay Max, they’re good people, they won’t hurt you. Daniel wouldn’t hurt a fly either, I don’t think he meant to scare you like that.” Sebastian’s voice was soft as he spoke to the pup, who was starting to look more comfortable. It made sense, he trusted Kimi, so it was almost natural to trust Kimi’s mate as well. 

Max blushed slightly and nodded.

“I know… He just startled me, I didn’t want to react that way. He seemed… nice” Max said quietly, he seemed embarrassed and upset at his own reaction.

“I’m sure he understands. You just need some time.” Sebastian said, standing up again. Kimi followed suit, pulling Max up with him. The three of them walked in the direction of the house. Kimi walked in the middle, Seb holding on tightly to his hand. Max was on his other side, nervously glancing around the woods. 

Kimi squeezed his shoulder in encouragement and Max nodded, the tension leaving his shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is slightly shorter than the others, but it seemed like the right place to end this chapter.  
> In following chapters, there will be slightly more focus on Max's and Kimi's past as well, as well as more bonding between Dan and Max (if everything I've planned actually works out on paper as well, cuz sometimes it just doesn't XD
> 
> If you enjoyed it, leave kuddos or comment so I know ;)  
> Cheers!

When they arrived at the house, everything was chaotic for a while, the other residents all wanting to meet the guests. Kimi was glad Mark told them to calm down and be patient, making sure not to overwhelm Max too much.

Mark briefly introduced everyone as everyone settled down on the spacious porch, Kimi, Sebastian and Max on one side, the others on the other side. Besides Mark, there was his mate, Fernando, a friendly man with dark eyes, with a naturally comforting air around him. Standing just behind Fernando were two younger Betas, Stoffel and Carlos. Fernando explained briefly that they were orphans and had been raised here by him and Mark since they were little pups. Stoffel seemed a little more timid than Carlos, who had grinned at Max, but both had seemed excited to have another young wolf around. 

There was also another mated pair, Nico and Lewis, who stood together to Carlos’s left. The Alpha, Lewis, gave them a curt nod, while his Beta smiled widely. Mark told them Nico and Lewis might seem to be fighting a lot, but they shouldn’t take notice of that, it was just the way they bonded.

Then there was Daniel of course, the only unmated Alpha in the pack, as far as Max could tell at least. Daniel grinned when Mark introduced him, but seemed a little unsure of himself around Max, very self-conscious of his movements so he wouldn’t startle Max again. Max smiled back timidly at him. He had never meant to react that way to Daniel, he seemed nice and had been no threat to Max. Max decided he should probably apologize to him later, but didn’t know for sure if he could. His instincts still told him to stay away from unmated Alphas

It seemed to be a small pack, even though Mark told them there were a couple more wolves, who were all out visiting other packs, it wasn't even half the size of the pack Max had belonged to.

After everyone was introduced, Mark didn't waist time and went straight to business. 

“If you want, you can stay here for as long as you need, even indefinitely if you truly start to feel at home. I can not deny Sebastian being with him mate, and I won’t forgive myself if I send a young wolf away to fend for himself.” He directed the last part at Max, who looked truly surprised at being allowed to stay. Max hid his face as he started to cry quietly again, not wanting to seem disrespectful in any way. He was upset with himself for crying so often, but just couldn't help it. He hadn’t experienced kindness from really anyone besides Kimi before, and he wasn’t sure how to react.

Shakily, he got up and walked over to where Mark was sitting, Fernando at his side and the other pack members slightly behind them. Mark gave him a curious look while Fernando’s smile faltered and turned into a small frown.

He dropped to his knees before Mark and the others, leaning down to press his forehead against the cool ground, letting out a shaky breath.

In his last pack, this had been compulsory for the Betas, showing all the Alphas their respect and to show them they were submissive. It had been humiliating at times, since Max would be forced to do it no matter how badly he was treated, no matter the state he was in. 

He wasn’t certain if the others understood his gesture, or if they even approved. If Max had still been in his old pack and would have bowed down in front of a group that was not only Alphas, he would have been severly punished, most likely hit or even whipped.

But right now it felt like the right thing to do, Max didn't know how else to show his gratitude.

Suddenly he felt someone gently carding a hand through his hair and he tensed, keeping his head down.

“Shh, it's okay. Sit up, Max.” the voice was gentle and Max looked up to see Fernando knelt beside him. The other wolves, even Mark, were all on the ground close to him as well, the Alphas making sure to keep slightly more distance, all of them a sad expression on their face. Fernando tightly held on to his hand, his other hand moving up to Max’s cheek to wipe away some tears. 

“You don’t have to bow anymore, Max, you are not below anyone here.” Max was confused and would have been scared, had Fernando not seemed so kind. Of course he was below the others here, he was a Beta, and not a particularly desirable one, which meant he was at the bottom of the pack as far as he understood.

He glanced towards the others one by one. All of them gave him small smiles. 

Mark slowly moved towards him, reaching out. Max flinched but let him squeeze his shoulder.

“You are no slave here, Max, don’t forget that.” Max stared at him, wide eyed, not quite comprehending what was going on. He whimpered, not knowing what to do. The two young wolves from before scooted closer, settling on either side of him, gently whining back in comfort. Nico and Lewis moved closer as well, sitting down behind Fernando and Mark. 

Max felt Kimi and Sebastian come up behind him, and he turned to look at Kimi for support, feeling completely overwhelmed. Kimi gave him a small smile and gently placed a hand on his back.

“It’s okay, Max, it’s okay.” He soothed. Max looked around, almost feeling at home here, something he had never felt before.

All wolves sat around Max now, except for Dan, who still stayed a little more off side. He seemed to want to join the group, but wasn’t sure Max would be okay with having him closer. Max looked at Daniel and then hesitated, glancing at the others. Fernando and Mark noticed and shifted aside, letting Dan come closer. 

Max hesitated, reached out a shaky hand, faltered, but then finally pressed his palm to Dan’s for just a moment, earning a wide grin from the other wolf. Max smiled back timidly.

If this was pack, Max could get used to it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said there would be more bonding etc between Dan and Max in this chapter, but that's not exactly what I wrote whoops XD
> 
> Comments and Kuddos highly appreciated!!  
> Cheers

“Would it be okay for me to ask where you came from?” Mark asked when the lot of them were fitted around a narrow table inside to have dinner. 

Max was overwhelmed by how close they all seemed, he had never seen a pack all eat together, it was nice.

Kimi nodded from beside him and sighed, scratching the side of his face.

“I lost my pack years ago… as did Seb of course... And after Sebastian left, I roamed around for a bit, before I found my pup - Max - alone in the woods. Going here was really our only chance” Kimi explained shortly, not really wanting to go in great detail. Max unconsciously moved slightly closer to Kimi. The Alpha noticed and hummed, putting his arm on the back of Max’s chair.

Fernando turned to Max with a soft smile.

“Can I ask which pack you're from?” Max looked surprised at the direct question and didn’t really seem to want to answer at first. Kimi was about to cut in when the pup softly spoke up.

“Liberty.” 

The table went quiet, except for the sound of someone dropping their knife. Kimi turned towards the sound and saw it had been Daniel, whose face had turned completely ashen, staring at Max. 

Max shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but held Daniel’s gaze for a moment, until the Alpha spoke.

“I-I’ve been to Liberty… the way they treat Betas there, I…” Daniel shuddered, clenching his fists. Max looked at the movement, a thoughtful look on his face. Kimi gently squeezed his shoulder in comfort. 

There was a tense silence until Mark cleared his throat and spoke up.

“Now, it might be a good time to discuss the living arrangements… Sebastian has his own room here, I suppose you’ll sleep there with him, Kimi?” he got a nod from both Kimi and Seb. 

Then he turned to Max, who was still looking intently at his plate. “Normally the pups - excuse me, younger wolves- all sleep in one room. But I can understand if you prefer not to…?” 

Max hesitated, glancing towards Stoffel and Carlos.

“No, that’s fine…” he said quietly, nodding slowly. The others all grinned encouragingly at him, knowing this was probably a big step for the pup.

~~

After dinner, Fernando showed them the room where Max would be staying, Stoffel and Carlos not far behind. 

Kimi was glad to notice both other pups were kind to Max, who still seemed a little overwhelmed. They spoke quietly to him and made some jokes, making Max even crack a small smile every once in a while.

The room was quite spacious, 6 beds placed in a single line against the wall. Carlos and Stoffel occupied the two furthest away from the door and waited quietly for Max to make a decision. Max hesitated and then took the bed next to theirs, placing the small stack of clothing he had received on the end. 

While Stoffel and Carlos got their stuff to take a shower, Max stared absentmindedly at the bed. It had been a long time ago that he hadn’t slept on the ground, a privilege like that had been rare for a Beta in his pack.

Kimi, who had been waiting to make sure the pup was okay, moved away from his position leaning against the doorframe and walked over to Max. 

Max surprised Kimi by hugging him tightly, pressing his face against Kimi’s shoulder, who in return wrapped his arms around the pup’s back.

“Thank you for taking me here… and keeping me safe.” Max whispered, sounding almost dejected. Kimi was confused, his pup had sounded almost happy before, but know it sounded like he was saying goodbye, was Max leaving? 

He frowned, something was definitely off. 

He pulled back so he could look at Max, who was stubbornly refusing eye contact again. Kimi knew he mostly did this when he was hiding something, his eyes would normally betray his emotions and Max knew that well, keeping them hidden whenever he could.

“What’s wrong.” It wasn’t really a question. Max bit the inside of his cheek and finally looked up.

“It would be wrong to keep you from spending time with your mate.” He said softly. Kimi’s frown deepened.

“What do you mean?” he asked, really not understanding what was going on.

“I take up too much of your time with my… problems. That’s wrong, I won’t anymore.” Max mumbled, looking at his feet. Kimi finally understood. Max wasn’t really leaving here, but he wanted to take, what Max apparently considered appropriate, distance from Kimi.

Kimi determinedly shook his head,

“You’re my pup, you can take up as much of my time as you want.” He said gruffly, squeezing Max’s shoulder gently. Max blinked in surprise, but then frowned again.

“But Sebastian…”

“…Doesn’t mind, at all.” Someone spoke up behind them. Sebastian had wandered into the room as well, a soft smile on his face. 

Max’s cheeks flushed a deep red and he looked away from both of them immediately, even stepping away from Kimi’s hand, that had still been on his shoulder.

Sebastian had reached them and stood next to Kimi, who wrapped an arm around him. Max awkwardly stared at his feet.

“Max…” Seb said gently. “I really don’t mind, Your part of Kimi’s life as much as I am now, and that’s fine, you’re his pup, it would be wrong if he ignored you from now on, just because he’s back with me.” Max shyly looked up at them, and Sebastian grinned, holding out his arm, gesturing him to come closer.

Max hesitantly stepped closer and allowed Kimi and Seb to both wrap an arm around him, pulling him in for a hug. 

Eventually they pulled away, Kimi kissing the top of Max’s head before he and Seb left the room. 

They passed Stoffel and Carlos in the doorway, both young wolves smiling kindly at them.

In Seb’s room, they got ready to go to bed. Kimi was still slightly anxious for Max, not knowing for certain if the pup was okay in the other room, or if had all become too much for him again. 

Seb noticed this, of course, and gave him a knowing look as he flopped down on the bed.

“Go check on him, it’ll settle your nerves.” He said to Kimi with a wink. Kimi glared half-heartedly at him but nodded, padding towards to room on the other side of the hall again. 

He saw Fernando was already peeking inside. Fernando turned when he heard Kimi approached. He grinned and beckoned him closer. Kimi raised an eyebrow but did just that. 

Glancing into the room, he smiled. The young wolves had pushed the three beds together to create a single large bed. The three pups were curled up on it, laying closely together, the blankets piled on top of them. 

Max was squeezed in the middle, the two other pups on either side of him, their arms wrapped around him in comfort. All three of them were sound asleep already, contently smiling in their sleep.

“They’re adorable.” Fernando cooed quietly, smiling brightly. 

Kimi nodded in agreement, they really were.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo this chapter will have a little more Dan/Max interaction, as promised :D  
> Leave kuddos and comments if you enjoyed the chapter ;)  
> Cheers!

The next morning Kimi woke up late, Seb still curled against his side. He smiled as Sebastian frowned and mumbled when Kimi shifted slightly. He gently rubbed his knuckles along Seb’s cheek, until finally his eyes fluttered open. Seb smiled when he saw Kimi and stretched contently.

“Morning.” He said, leaning over to kiss Kimi. Kimi chuckled.

“Morning Seb.” He replied as he rolled onto his side, facing Sebastian. Sebastian hummed and pressed their foreheads together.

“Please don’t ever go again.” Seb mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed again. Kimi went rigid, regret pooling in his eyes immediately. 

Sebastian’s eyes flew open once he realised what he had just said.

“Sorry Kimi, that wasn’t…” Kimi shook his head.

“It’s okay.. I really did leave you, you have all the rights to blame me.” Kimi answered, not looking at Seb. Seb reached out and cupped Kimi’s cheek with one hand.

“Kimi, look at me.” He said softly. Kimi looked up, and Seb kissed him again. Pulling away, Sebastian smiled wryly.

“I forgive you, you’re mine and I’m yours, of course I forgive you.” He answered Kimi’s unasked question. Kimi breathed out shakily and nodded.

“I love you Seb” he said gently. Seb smiled brightly.

“I love you too.” 

 

Eventually made their way downstairs. Max was already sitting at the table with Stoffel and Carlos, the three of them joking around with each other. Max smiled at them when they came in and sat down at the table as well. Nico and Lewis joined them not much later, Nico tiredly rubbing at his eyes as Lewis chuckled.

Kimi noticed immediately that there were more chairs placed at the table than there were yesterday. 

Fernando, who had been trying to get the three pups to eat even more, saw his confused look.

“The others are coming back today.” He said, ruffling Carlos hair with a fond expression when the pup accepted more food from him. Kimi turned to Mark, who was absentmindedly steering his coffee. Mark nodded.

“Two other pack members are returning from scouting and visiting neighbouring territories today, Dan is waiting for them at the border right now.”

As if on cue, they heard howling in the distance, but it wasn’t the happy ‘nice to see you again’ howling, this was for help. 

Mark and Lewis were on their feet immediately, while Nico, Fernando and Seb all instinctively went to the pups. Kimi stood as well and looked at Mark, who gave him a nod.

“Us three will go there, you guys stay with the pups.” Everyone was tense, none of the younger wolves even huffing at being called pup again. 

Kimi glanced at Seb before going after Lewis and Mark, Sebastian giving him a small smile and placing one hand on Max’s shoulder.

The Alphas shifted into their wolf forms and ran towards the sound. Meanwhile Fernando told the others to go to the porch while he grabbed the first aid kit and necessities.

They anxiously stood together on the porch, waiting until they could see what was going on. Max was surprised to find that although he was nervous, he actually felt relatively safe with the pack around him.

They didn’t hear growling or threatening howling, so the chance that there was any direct threat was slim. 

Eventually the Alphas made their way back to the house, all in human forms again, supporting one man between them, while another stranger walked slightly behind them. It didn’t take them long to reach the porch. 

The first man, who was clearly hurt, was an Alpha, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was limping, clearly favouring his right leg with a pained expression. He was placed carefully onto one of the benches, winching as he was moved.

The other man didn’t seem to be hurt as badly, he did have some scratches and some blood on his clothing, but Max didn’t think the blood was his. He was tall with blonde floppy hair. He couldn’t help but wince when he smelled out it was another Alpha.

“Where is Dan?” Seb asked suddenly, and Max felt a pang of worry. The second man turned to them.

“There were wolves following us, they attacked. With Dan’s help, we could fend them off, but Dan went after them to make sure they weren’t coming back.” He explained. Max almost whined, he didn’t like Dan being out there on his own. He didn’t understand where the sudden care for the Alpha had come from, but it was there, clear as day.

He tried to sniff the air as subtle as he could and actually whimpered out loud when he smelled blood, Dan’s blood. Kimi gave him a concerned look and reached out for him, but Max ducked his arm, starting of in a run towards the smell, four feet touching the ground when he turned into his wolf form.

He could hear Kimi’s concerned calls but didn’t stop, the worry he felt for Dan too bad to even make him hesitate.

He called out to Dan as he neared, but the answer was only very faint. He ran in to a clearing, finally spotting Dan. He was just quick enough turning into his human form to catch Dan, who stumbled forward into Max’s arm.

Max lowered the two of them to the ground, whining when he saw Dan’s side was bleeding badly. 

“Max?” Dan’s voice was hoarse as he looked up momentarily before he slumped forward with a groan. Max caught him again, allowing him to rest against him. He didn’t understand what was going on, yesterday he barely tolerated Dan being near, and now he wanted nothing more than to comfort him.

Dan’s face was buried in the crook of Max’s neck, his breathing almost too shallow. Max whimpered and gently shushed him, his hand going to Dan’s side to press against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. 

Dan growled at him and tried to pull away, but he was too weak. Max lifted his other hand to Dan’s head, gently carding his fingers through the curls. 

Max looked up when Kimi and Mark ran into the clearing as well. Kimi looked as if he was about to scold Max, but his face paled when he saw Dan in his arms.

The two of them knelt down as well. Mark gently moved Dan’s face to look at him, while Kimi shrugged of his sweater. Mark tapped Dan’s cheek to get his attention, and while he did show some reaction, he seemed unable to focus.

Kimi moved Max’s hand away from Dan’s side for a moment and placed the sweater against the wound before pressing Max’s hand back against it. Dan hissed, his head falling back against Max’s shoulder.

Max whimpered again as he felt Dan go limp in his arms, looking at Kimi for support.

“We need to get him back to the house.” Mark said urgently. He took one of Dan’s arms and wrapped it around his shoulders, Kimi doing the same with the other. The counted until three and hoisted the man up between them, lifting him away from Max, who scrambled to his feet as well.

Dan groaned and trashed in their grip, making it hard for them to hold on. On instinct, Max reached out and gently cupped Dan’s cheek with one hand, moving his thumb over his cheekbone. Dan calmed down almost instantly, his eyes fluttering open for a moment.

“Max…” he choked out again. 

“It’s okay.” Max told him shakily.

 

Getting Dan back was not easy, but they managed somehow, Max making sure to stay in contact with him as much as he could. 

Back at the house, the others were already waiting for them. They carried Dan inside, to a small room on the ground floor that seemed to be a makeshift hospital room, and placed him down on the bed there. Max stood wearily in the doorway, not wanting to get in the way of Fernando and Sebastian, who seemed to know what they were doing. 

Max had to look away when they lifted the bottom of Dan’s shirt, exposing the deep wounds underneath. Kimi came over to him and pulled him into his arms, allowing Max to burry his face in his shirt.

Max could hear Dan cry out in pain and he let out a sob at the sound. Kimi gently shushed him, rubbing his hand over Max’s back.

Eventually, after what felt like hours to Max, Fernando announced they were done. 

Only then did Max dare to look up. Dan looked pale, but stable. There were bandages tightly wrapped around his abdomen, but other than that, he didn’t seem to have any injuries. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady, making Max relax. 

Kimi gently pushed Max in Dan’s direction, Fernando moving a chair over for him to sit. Max hesitantly reached out and took Dan’s hand, sighing in relief when the skin felt warm against his palm.

Dan frowned in his sleep, his hand wrapping around Max’s as well.

“…Max…” it was only a whisper, but Max caught it.

“Shh, it’s okay, I’m right here.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while, but here's a new chapter :D  
> Please leave comments and kuddos if you enjoyed ;)  
> Cheers!

It took longer than expected for Dan to heal. The nasty cut on his side got infected in an equally nasty way. The fever took two days to break, and all through it, Max stayed at his side. 

No one questioned him staying there, although Max understood his sudden change in behaviour when it came to Dan had to be confusing to the pack, heck, even Max himself wasn’t sure why he wanted to stay at Daniel’s side. 

The first day was horrible for them all. Daniel was clearly in pain, whimpering and crying the few times he did wake up. Max would always be there, and the few times he was in the kitchen to eat or drink, or really just stretch his legs, he would rush back as soon as he heard the noise. It had become very clear that Dan would only calm down if Max was at his side, so the pack made sure Max stayed close.

The others did regularly check on Dan as well, taking turns sitting in the room, also to keep Max some company. Max started to trust them more and more, even though he was still cautious around the Alphas, especially the two Alphas who had arrived the day Daniel got hurt, although they both seemed friendly enough. The first, who had injured his leg, turned out to be called Valtteri. Val reminded Max of Kimi in his aloofness, which helped him get a little more comfortable around the guy. 

The second man honestly still scared Max a little. He was friendly and talkative, but also very tall and sort of loomed over people without trying. Luckily the guy, called Nico, although Max was soon told to call him Hulk as to not to confuse him with the other Nico, had noticed the way Max had to stop himself from cowering when he walked over, and had made an effort to always sit down as soon as possible if Max was around, his length less noticeable when sitting.

It was the morning of the third day when Dan wake up somewhat coherent again. Max had been so exhausted he had fallen asleep in the chair he occupied next to the bed, his hand still holding onto Dan’s. He had refused to leave the room to actually get some rest, even though the others had tried really hard to bribe him into doing so.

Max had been woken up by a raspy voice and a squeeze of his hand. It had startled Max, who had pulled his hand back with a yelp, almost falling off the chair. He heard Daniel chuckle and then cough harshly. Quickly, Max took the glass of water from the bedside table, and, carefully supporting Dan’s head with one hand, helped him to drink a little. 

Afterwards, Daniel gave Max a gentle smile and thanked him. Max realised he had unconsciously taken a hold of Dan’s hand again. He wanted to pull away, but Dan intertwined their fingers with another smile.

“Thank you for staying with me.” Dan said, looking at their hands as he brushed his thumb over Max’s knuckles. Max blushed but returned his smile.

“Sure, no problem.” He said softly, looking away.

“Max?” Daniel’s voice was gentle. Max looked back, Daniel’s eyes were kind and he found himself relaxing. “Why do you trust me?” the question came unexpected and Max felt a little flustered.

“I… well… I’m not sure, I just sort of do…” he mumbled. Dan seemed deep in thought. “Why? Do you know?” Max quickly added. Dan smiled.

“I have my suspicions, but I’d be wrong to act on them now, It’d be unfair to you.” He said, giving Max’s hand a squeeze before he yawned and rubbed his face tiredly. Max sighed and squeezed back, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He unconsciously reached out to brush his fingertips over Dan’s cheekbone, blushing once he realised what he was doing. 

“Go to sleep, I’ll be there when you wake up again.” He said quietly. Dan gave him another nod and closed his eyes. 

It didn’t take long for Daniel’s breathing to even out. Max stayed a little longer after that, making sure that Dan was okay. Then, the hunger got the best of him and he decided to go to the kitchen. 

Getting up, he carefully untangled his fingers from Dan, who frowned and mumbled something in his sleep. With a small smile, Max leant in and hesitantly kissed the side of Dan’s head, before smoothing some stray curls out of his face.

He wasn’t sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do. He didn’t understand why he was behaving the way he did around Dan, but he just felt so unexplainably comfortable around the Alpha. 

After a last glance at Dan’s sleeping form, Max made his way downstairs. Kimi was sitting at the kitchen table with Seb, Fernando and Mark most of the other wolves either outside or in the living room. 

“How is he doing?” Fernando asked with a smile, pushing a plate with different slices of cakes towards Max. Max smiled.

“Better. He was awake earlier, but he tired real soon.” He explained. Kimi was staring at him with a small frown, making Max shift uncomfortably in his chair, before he turned to Mark.

“Is this Daniel as kind as he makes himself out to be?” Kimi asked tensely. Max didn’t understand why he was asking. Mark raised an eyebrow but nodded.

“Yeah, Daniel is a good lad, wouldn’t hurt a fly unless the fly threatened the pack.” Kimi gave a satisfied nod. Sebastian smiled kindly at Max.

“What do you think of him, Max?” Max blinked in surprise and shrugged.

“He’s… nice, I don’t know why, but I feel comfortable around him.” Max said, getting knowing smiles from all other wolves except Kimi, who was still frowning. 

“Why are you asking?” Max asked with a confused expression. Mark cleared his throat.

“We think that there might be a possibility that… err…” he glanced at Fernando and Sebastian for help.

“We think you might be mates.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought this would be an okay place for this to end. I do plan on writing a couple of prequels for this, but don't know yet when.   
> Right now I've been thinking of doing a longer fic on how Kimi found Max alone in the woods, as well as some background info about him and Seb. Also, probably one explaining how Stoffel and Carlos got to the pack.  
> Besides those I'm not sure yet, so requests are very welcome  
> Cheers!

The days after went by in a blur. Daniel was healing fast, and was more awake, but was still to weak to properly walk and get out of his bed. Max still visited, but kept his distance a little more, this time only sitting on the chair next to the bed if Dan specifically asked him to. 

He wasn’t sure what to think of the fact that they might be mates. Of course, he liked Daniel, would even go as far as to say he trusted the Alpha, but this was something he never expected would happen. 

In his pack, it had been rare for a mated pair to be true mates, often it was one of the Betas who was just forcefully bonded to one of the many Alphas, no matter if they were truly mates. Max had expected a similar fate before he succeeded at escaping, an Alpha had already been chosen for him, so he never thought there would be a true mate for him out there.

But now there was Daniel. Patient and kind, and he truly seemed to care for Max, as well as enjoying his company. 

Everyone seemed to be happy that there might be a new mated pair, if they chose to stick together at least, except for Kimi. Understandably, Kimi was afraid his pup would be taken form him, maybe even hurt. Sebastian tried to soothe his fears but only succeeded in doing so partially. 

Max had noticed Kimi’s reluctantness as well, and had chosen to stay closer to Kimi, making sure the Alpha knew he was okay.

 

It was a week after Daniel got hurt when Max woke up in the middle of the night in absolute terror, the nightmare he had just had still fresh in his mind. Kimi and Sebastian had already been in his room when he woke up, having sensed the pups discomfort. Stoffel and Carlos had been woken up by his yells, both looking distressed at Max’s sudden outburst.

“Shhh, it’s okay, you’re safe.” Max heard Kimi gently tell him, the Alpha pulling his pup into his arms. Max cried silently, clutching onto Kimi with all his might. 

The door to the bedroom opened again and all the other pack members came in, all concerned at having smelled such strong distress. They all stayed close to Max, sitting on and around the beds. Fernando had gently ruffled his hair before going over to the two other pups to make sure they hadn’t gotten too frightened. 

Max felt comforted by having them around, knowing he was safe. Still, he found himself missing Dan, who was still rather confined to his bed. 

He heard comforting noises coming from around the room and hesitantly growled back in appreciation. 

Suddenly, there were some crashes just outside the room, before the door opened yet again. Daniel stumbled in, one arm clutched around the wound on his side and the other one holding onto the wall. He looked panicked and confused and pushed Valtteri away as the other Alpha tried to steady him.

“Max… Hurt… where is he…” his breathing was ragged, eyes flashing. Max whimpered and stood up, Kimi reluctantly letting go of him as he eyed the hurt wolf wearily.

Max walked over to Dan, the others moving away to let him through. He wordlessly pressed against Daniel, careful not to hurt his side as he let the Alpha wrap a tight arm around him. Max buried his face in Dan’s shoulder as the Alpha slowly started to calm down, breathing in his smell. Daniel growled possessively and Max keened softly, baring his neck for Dan to nuzzle gently. Max felt a rush of comfort as he did so.

He felt Daniel start to lean more and more on him and whimpered as he heard him groan in pain. Kimi was the first to reach them, helping Max hold Daniel up as the carefully moved him back to his room.

Dan growled in pain when they placed him down on the bed again, but a whimper from Max was enough to calm him down again. Kimi took Max’s wrist, urging him to look at him.

“You trust him? You’re sure?” he said, voice tight. Max nodded. 

“Good… okay, I’ll leave you alone with him for a moment.” He seemed uncomfortable with the idea though. Max waited for him to leave the room before he turned back to Daniel, whose eyes were open and focused on him.

“I’m sorry, I overreacted.” Daniel said. Max shook his head with a small smile and took Dan’s hand again, running his fingers over his palm. 

“It’s okay.” 

“Max…” Daniel said after a moment of silence. “We don’t have to act on this, these kinds of bonds, they break if you ignore them for long enough, I’ll understand.” He sounded pained, and not only by the wound on his side. Max tightened his grip on Daniel’s hand, a small blush coming to his cheeks.

“I want to…” he mumbled softly. “I think so at least…” he laughed nervously. Daniel grinned widely, sitting up slightly. He slowly reached out for Max’s cheek, giving him time to pull away. Max didn’t, his eyes fluttering closed with a content whine when Dan’s hand pressed against his cheek. 

“Can I kiss you…” Daniel murmurs, his warm breath ghosting over Max’s face. Max doesn’t answer, leaning in to hesitantly press their lips together themselves. 

He is hit by the same sudden rush of comfort as before and he hums contently as their lips move in sync. Daniel moves back.

“My mate…” he says fondly, stroking Max’s hair out of his face. Max smiled, leaning in again.

“My mate.”


End file.
